As the time of finals and stress approaches, it is good to do things that we enjoy that soothe our minds. Personally, I’m a fan of immersing myself in another world through books or TV shows, so if you are into consuming media as much as I am, here are some book recommendations to de-stress!
For romance lovers… Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
This is quite possibly one of my favorite books. It is a stand-alone romance novel set in an alternate version of our world where the prince of England and the first son of the first woman president of the United States, spoiler alert, fall in love.
This is one of my comfort books and I never usually re-read books like that, but I have re-read this book so many times or have just re-read scenes to get that same feeling of comfort all over again. It’s great not only for the LGBTQ+ representation and storytelling but this book legitimately takes away any bad thoughts or feelings I have before reading it and I love how comforting it is.
For fantasy lovers… Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
This book is quite possibly part of my favorite book series of all time. There are six books in the series plus two spin-off type books to make it total up to eight novels. It starts off about an assassin being let out of prison to compete in a competition at the royal palace but turns into a much larger plot as the books go on.
Besides just having all this material to read through and really put yourself in this world the author has created, there is so much character development over each chapter that you feel connected to the story. I love a good female protagonist as much as the next girl, but the female protagonist in this series is quite possibly the best perspective I have ever seen in a series, so this is my go-to recommendation for anyone.
For contemporary lovers… Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
This book title is probably not new to anyone familiar with the indie movie scene, but I can strongly say the argument of the movie not being as good as the book really stands here. There are so many elements of the book that stand out and are not mentioned in the movie.
Overall, it is a very quick read considering how short the book is, but you can really feel the impact this book leaves on you as it addresses real-life issues and scenarios that we all come across. There are some books that help you escape reality, but this one more so helps you address your reality head-on.
For classic lovers… Animal Farm by George Orwell
Out of all the assigned readings we are given throughout the school years, one of my surprise favorites was this book. Not only is it also a short and quick read, but the whole book being a metaphor is so fun to unpack and analyze. This was one of the few classics that I didn’t want to give up on and spark note the rest of for class and it actually became a re-read for me as I wanted to unpack every sort of “easter egg” that it had to offer with a new read through.
For action lovers… Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Another series, but only being a duology, these two books are set in another fantasy-type world and centers around a group of six people who are trying to pull off a heist all for different reasons. As far as character development goes, the author is not afraid to not make the characters “perfect” archetypes that you constantly want to root for and I kind of like how different that is from other books similar to this.
This book builds anticipation as the heist goes on and has you on the edge of your seat wondering what happens next, which always makes for a good distraction from anything happening in the outside world. Overall, it is a book you can get lost in.
Graphic by Autumn Rendall
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